Beyond the door, girls crowded the halls in groups by themselves.
'Oh yeah, Carolice assigned me to the girls' dorm. Well, this will be awkward.'
Kailus and Shalius walk side by side, their wings brushing in the cramped hallway. Akiro trails behind, her many tails shuddering at the afterthought of Shailus.
They leave the dorm and head toward the school building. On their way, two archangel teachers notice him.
The male archangel loudly whispers to his female counterpart. "Look, a Genesis Angel, and even better, a charged one. His physique is perfect, yet his posture is weak. Being revered as God's blessings, miracle workers, Grand saviors—the ultimate healers with countless titles upon them. With such achievements and a weak posture from a CHARGED Genesis Angel, that's concerning for the nation's future."
The female archangel nods. "Yes, I can't stand seeing children so weak. They're so precious and can grow strong like us with proper training."
The male archangel smiles approvingly. "Yes, everyone must feel proud, for the truth shall set them free!"
"Yeah! May he come to us, and we'll show him true theology!" the female archangel adds proudly as they clasp their hands in pride.
Kailus watches from a distance, smiling at their enthusiasm. When he turns around, his roommates are far ahead into the crowd.
'Eh, not that big of a problem. I'll just follow the crowd.'
After walking for a while, Kailus finally finds the cafeteria. It's crowded with both genders.
While in line, he takes this as a chance to look at the options: d'waffles, bacon, faircakes, sausage, eggs, angel toast, olives, and hash browns.
'They have many alternatives, don't they, Shalius?' He says mockingly.
Kailus looks up the line. Akiro and Shalius are behind thirteen people, with seventeen more between them and Kailus—making it thirty in total until he reaches the counter.
Awaiting the front, his stomach growls continuously at the delicious vegetation spread across the room.
Lost in the scent, nearby students whisper about him: "A charged Genesis Angel?" "Yeah, I can't believe it." "How quickly do you think he heals?" "Probably instantly." "Should we ask him?" "No, he's probably had many come up to him. Give him a break." "But I—" "No."
After what feels like an eternity, he finally reaches the counter. He exchanges a few words with the cafeteria lady before heading off.
As he walks toward his roommates, who are sitting, Kailus notices that some of his food is faintly glowing. He looks around for reassurance: non-magic races' food gives no glow, magic races' food gleams brightly, and halfies—like Kailus—have a light glow.
'This must be magic protein. Never had this before.'
He joins Akiro and Shailus. Other students try to engage with them, but Akiro ignores them, and Shalius remains silent.
Akiro reclines in her chair, her stainless-steel plate before her, basking in pure bliss—unaware of Kailus's gaze.
She continuously mutters nonsense aloud. "Pork~." "Beef~." "Chicken~."
"You need serious exercise," he mumbles.
Shalius coughs a bit. "Well, aside from… her babbling, I waited to enjoy this extravagant meal with you. As for my bacon, Akiro ate it while you were in line. She was quite needy of its nutrients."
Kailus' eyes brighten at her commitment. "Aw, thanks!"
Shalius smiles. "For you, my friend."
Kailus returns the smile and eats along. When he bites into his food, a loud crunch echoes across the table. Akiro instantly opens her eyes like a cat smelling fresh food.
"Hey Kailus, can you be a blessing for little o' me and hand me—"
Shalius cuts her off with a menacing tone. "For every bite you take upon yourself is fifty reps later for compensation. Don't make this harder than it needs to be."
"Ugh, we have a food officer over here," Akiro scoffs. She looks at Kailus with puppy dog eyes, begging for a slice.
'She's starting to scare me. Is this what a food addict is?'
A while later:
They finish eating as the bell rings at the exact moment. Shalius and Akiro leave in hurry with Kailus tailing behind. He tries to keep up, but the crowd quickly engulfs them.
Pushing through it, he searches desperately, bumping into people and muttering feign apologies, until a hand grips his shoulder.
'Oh no… Was I pushing too hard? Please don't be an overreactor?'
He turns around, expecting the worst, but instead sees Carolice kneeling and panting.
"Sorry… Kailus," Carolice says, catching her breath between words. "Here's the… schedule… I didn't want to interrupt your… breakfast, so I waited… until the bell rang. Thank God I caught up to you."
"Take this slip if you're late to class. I'm sorry for yesterday." Carolice hands Kailus a late slip along with the papers, then blitzes away, leaving sparks of light.
'Oh, Carolice is an Enhancer. Never seen one before of those before.'
He glances at the first period: Class 209, History.
'Since I have this slip, I can go at my own pace without worrying about tardiness.'
He reads the schedule carefully.' It's unusual: eight subjects, split into four per day, alternating between Red and Blue classes. Red Class being: History, Morality, P.E., and Monopoly; and Blue Class covering: Health, Magic and Potions, and Racial Biology. They alternate daily, like a pattern. I actually like it—it gives a lot of leeway.'
While reading, a group of angels bumps into Kailus with tensed shoulders. "Step aside if you're standing in the middle of the hallway. I'm already late to Ms. Damaris!" one snaps.
Kailus steps aside in embarrassment. 'I guess that's my sign to go.'
A few minutes later:
He steps into the classroom with a loud sigh. 'Finally, I'm free.'
He looks around, absorbing its unique layout.
It's a D-shaped room. At the left, rows of seats went along the curved edge, with nine tiered rows forming an elegant arc around the central podium. A whiteboard sits on each desk, accompanied by a soft, cushioned chair behind it.
Glancing right, the teacher's desk faces the students, a regal chair nestled behind it. A microphone, a thick book, and a coffee machine sit neatly on the desk. A mountainous layers of shelves filled with various books lay behind it.
Above them all, a single stained-glass dome window bathes the floor in vibrant colors.
Akiro calls from above, "Took you long enough! Where've you been, Kailie? Shalius was about to leave."
Kailus retorts, "Kai—know what, forget it. You left me in that crowded cafeteria while I was getting up! I'm surprised this room's still empty past attendance."
He settles beside Shalius and starts rifling through his desk, finding sketches, folders, magic pens—everything he needs. Underneath, his desk bears the number 24, with Shalius's at 23 and Akiro's 22.
In bold letters across the desk's upper center, an instruction reads: "Write your name."
As Kailus complies, the desk pulses with a soft glow, mana rippling from it. Stunned by the aura, he blurts aloud, "Is this perma magic?"
Shalius, sensing the desk's magic, writes her name on her desk as well: "Shalius Eneurm."
Akiro peers at Shalius's desk, intrigued. "No middle name?"
Shalius replies flatly, "Why would I need one?"
"It's just… normal," Akiro says, puzzled.
Propping her head on her hand, Shalius mutters, "Says you," her expression blank.
Akiro shrugs and draws her name: "Akiro Ohashi Kogitsune."
Shalius furrows her brows at her name. 'Did her parents really give her all of the most basic names combinations? No wonder you value yourself above them.'
Kailus runs his fingers along the desk's carved edges. 'I sense and teleportation magic within it, along with a faint voice. That's probably connected to that microphone. Holy, these desks are incredible. I can sense an entire coding in it, but it's too advanced for someone of my caliber to try and interact with.'
As more students enter, filling the room with diverse variants and ethnicities, Kailus glances up to study their appearances—already engrossed in his findings.
Instead, he catches sight of familiar faces—old classmates—staring back at him with haunting frowns. They murmur among themselves before sitting far away.
A pang of shame hits Kailus, though he understands their decision.
Akiro notices his discomfort. 'Hm, looks like Kailus is getting used to the chairs. They are a little rough when you first sit on them.'
Shalius notices too, but her eyes remained unchanged. As the room grows noisier, only one seat remains empty—a corner seat beside Kailus.
'Wha—no one took a corner seat of all places? Am I that unbearable?'
Akiro laughs heartily. "Man, a corner seat left open? Did you not wear deodorant today or something?"
Kailus doesn't react to her teasing.
Akiro sighs heavily. "You too are so dull. Lighten up a bit."
At that moment, the door opens. Chatter immediately dissipates as their eyes haunt his every move. Students whispering amongst themselves: "A time elf?" "No way."
Though the man's face suggests forty, his flawless skin, piercing green eyes, and pointed ears say otherwise—a living paradox amongst all. He holds a cup, sipping at every opportunity. An addict you can most definitely see with your very eyes.